Synthetic Oil - Yes Or No?

[SHDWFX]

I recently bought a new Honda Phantom (I really like it!) and it has been suggested that I use only the synthetic oil like Mobil 1. I am not much of a mechanic or anything like that so I dont know. How much more expensive is it? Is it worth it? Why?

[VocalNeal]

I recently bought a new Honda Phantom (I really like it!) and it has been suggested that I use only the synthetic oil like Mobil 1. I am not much of a mechanic or anything like that so I dont know. How much more expensive is it? Is it worth it? Why?

This question is a minefield. Ask 10 people you will get 10 different answers. Don't put synthetic oil in your bike until it is well broken in.

Read this Motorcyle Oils Shell Rotella (Rotella here is called Rimula) Ultra 5W-40 is a favorite with m/cyclists. The 40 is the important number in this group. As we don't experience any low temperatures the "W" Winter rating is meaningless.

Snippits from above article.

You don't need to buy expensive "motorcycle" oils

It is not recommended to use some car oils in motorcycles ie Mobil1 because they contain friction modifiers. As your clutch runs in an oil bath it will not like friction modifiers. Motor cycles use the same oil for the gearbox so are hard on oils with low shear qualities.

You will not get 10000 kms between changes from synthetic oils and semi-synthetics are a waste of money.

So yes a synthetic oil will give you better protection. At a price. Like everything you get what you pay for.

Edited October 11, 2007 by VocalNeal

[cdnvic]

First 5000km on conventional oil, after that you're fine to use synthetics.

[ray23]

I use synthetics in my four hundred. But it still drives me nuts to go that long without an oil change.

So I end up changing to soon anyway. Cost it is much more expensive then a standard oil change done at 2K Klm.

The only advatage I can see is if it helps in engine wear. I don't really know but I'm told it does.

[SM7WGP]

For engine with ver high RPM s and as sad above When gearbox is using same oil, Its preferd with a super Lubricant and not the Standard oil.

Then its up to you to decide do want to pay 79 Bath or 460 Bath for one Liter quality oil, also you Decide how long Intervals betwen the changes or go with the producer limits.

[SM7WGP]

My Phantom is also brand new, so I also did change the oil at 550km to Synthetic Mobil 1 5-50 its expensive yes but its worth every baht. Also use the same in the CBR 150

[VocalNeal]

My Phantom is also brand new, so I also did change the oil at 550km to Synthetic Mobil 1 5-50 its expensive yes but its worth every baht. Also use the same in the CBR 150

I beleive you put the synthetic in too soon as at 500km the engine would not be fully bedded in.

As a Phantom probably doesn't overpower the clutch you'll probably be OK with std. Mobil 1

[higgy88]

I recently bought a new Honda Phantom (I really like it!) and it has been suggested that I use only the synthetic oil like Mobil 1. I am not much of a mechanic or anything like that so I dont know. How much more expensive is it? Is it worth it? Why?

This question is a minefield. Ask 10 people you will get 10 different answers. Don't put synthetic oil in your bike until it is well broken in.

Read this Motorcyle Oils Shell Rotella (Rotella here is called Rimula) Ultra 5W-40 is a favorite with m/cyclists. The 40 is the important number in this group. As we don't experience any low temperatures the "W" Winter rating is meaningless.

Snippits from above article.

You don't need to buy expensive "motorcycle" oils

It is not recommended to use some car oils in motorcycles ie Mobil1 because they contain friction modifiers. As your clutch runs in an oil bath it will not like friction modifiers. Motor cycles use the same oil for the gearbox so are hard on oils with low shear qualities.

You will not get 10000 kms between changes from synthetic oils and semi-synthetics are a waste of money.

So yes a synthetic oil will give you better protection. At a price. Like everything you get what you pay for.

VN, Thanks for the link. Very interesting reading. I was quite surprised and a bit unnerved when the author talked about how badly the automotive oil had degraded after just 1,500 miles. As a long time motorcycle rider, I have almost always used good quality automotive engine oils for my bikes, but this was well before the introduction of energy conserving oils and the phase out of ZDDP as the primary antiwear additive. I never had any oil related problems, but I did change the oil at the recommended intervals. I did some googling on the subject and found this site. motorcycle engine oil

which was written by a retired chemist from a major oil and chemical company in 2002, and he has a very different opinion. But then you did say ask 10 people and you will get 10 different opinions. I definately agree on that.

A snippet from his article;

Will changing the oil even more frequently, like every 1,000 miles, prolong the life of the engine?

Not very likely, because even at 3,000 to 4,000 miles, the oil and additives are not degraded very much. Changing more often just wastes money.

As far as my 6 year old 4 stroke 200cc Phantom, it was also recommended that I use synthetic and I did, but only once. I didn't really see much benifit other than doubling the time interval between oil changes. I think Mobile One is excellent, but I decided that it really wasn't worth the extra cost for exactly the same reason I bought a Toyota Vios for the wife rather than a Mercedes Benz. But to each their own. I had been buying my own oil and giving it to the shop when I went in for service, but the last time I just decided it wasn't even worth doing that anymore and I just had them put in their Honda 4T OEM oil. It's competitively priced, meets all of the JASO specs, and they have a straight 40 weight which I like because there is really no need for a multigrade oil here in the land of hot and hotter. Cheers.